Uphill battle for Glenorchy Knights' under-19s against a polished outfit

Photos (Top to Bottom): The South Hobart Development Squad; The Glenorchy Knights Under-19s squad; Referee Alistair Cooke (centre) and his assistants; South Hobart's Max Clarke netted a hat-trick; Max Clarke and Nick Morton run to congratulate goalscorer Joshua Quigley; A race for the ball; A battle for possession; South Hobart's Christian Di Martino was a force in midfield; A South Hobart free-kick clears the bar; Nick Morton in possession and on a run; Spot the paraglider (a); Spot the paraglider (b); The Knights' Matthew Nowicki organises his defence, quite oblivious to the paraglider approaching; Knights could have used the aerial reinforcement [PlessPix]

South Hobart Development Squad 8-3 Glenorchy Knights Under-19s

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South Hobart’s Development Squad played some excellent football in demolishing Glenorchy Knights’ Under-19s in this curtain-raiser to the senior game between South Hobart and South Melbourne Hellas.

They should have won by a larger margin, but poor finishing let them down.

They demonstrated good tactical understanding and fine technique and it was only after the Knights introduced Matthew Nowicki, who has senior Premier League experience, that the Knights started to show some fight and team understanding.

Nowicki’s presence seemed to galvanise his team-mates and Josh Dingjan came into his own and scored twice. Unsurprisingly, Nowicki got their third against a side a much younger outfit,

South Hobart created numerous chances and Max Clarke should probably have had a double hat-trick rather than just one.

Nick Morton sprayed passes around with aplomb and it was he who put South Hobart ahead in the 5th minute. A minute earlier, Max Clarke had headed over the bar from Will Howcroft’s cross from the right. The Knights dillied and dallied inside their own penalty area and failed to clear the ball. When it fell to Morton, he despatched it instantly to give his side a deserved lead.

In the 8th minute, Morton’s pass presented Max Clarke with another chance, but the youngster shot wide. A minute later, the same player headed wide from Josh Quigley’s right-wing cross.

Possibly tiring of chances coming his way, Max Clarke set up Morton in the 11th minute, but his shot hit a post.

Max Clarke finally got off the mark in the 14th minute to give South Hobart a 2-0 lead.

Tom Harbod then came into his own on the left wing and his pace and crossing presented Knights with plenty of problems.

In the 19th minute, Harbod crossed from the left to Max Clarke, who fired across the face of goal. The energetic and speedy Morton chased the ball and cleverly kept it in play at the right corner flag before crossing it for Max Clarke to miss an easy header.

Six minutes later, Quigley made it 3-0 with a powerful shot from range that would have done a senior player proud.

In the 37th minute, Harbod again raced down the left and delivered a perfect cross for Max Clarke to tap home goal number four.

Two minutes after the interval, central defender Ned Clarke scored South’s fifth following a corner in what was his comeback game after a year out with a hamstring injury.

Josh Dingjan pulled a goal back for the Knights in the 51st minute from Jack Harrison’s square pass, but South almost struck back immediately as goalkeeper Alex Woodham was forced to make an excellent save to deny Max Clarke, whose looping header lacked pace.

In the 59th minute, Conor Lees restored South’s five-goal buffer by volleying home after a free-kick from the left.

Max Clarke completed his hat-trick in the 61st minute, firing home on the turn, while three minutes later it was 801 courtesy of Maxim Devine.

Dingjan’s volley in the 68th minute made it 8-2, while Nowicki added the Knights’ third in the 72nd minute, but South Hobart were home and hosed by then.

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South Hobart: Becker - Chorny, Nugent N Clarke, Fahey - N Morton, Di Martino, Quigley - Howcroft, M Clarke, Harbod (Substitutes: Lees, Wright, Devine, Maxwell, Ross, Downes)

Goals: N Morton 5, M Clarke 14, 37, 61, Quigley 25, N Clarke 47, Lees 59, Devine 64)

Glenorchy Knights: Deering - Nichols, Johnston, C Kilpatrick, Harris - Gill, J Kilpatrick, Kolele, Jaffari - Dingjan, Harrison (Substitutes: Woodham, McDonald, Robinson, Clark, Nowicki)

Booked: Johnston

Goals: Dingjan 51, 68, Nowicki 72

Att: 100

Ref: A Cooke